Sheet-feeding mechanism.



W. S. AMIDON. SHEET FEEDING: MEGHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2z, 1911,

W'. S.V AMIDON. SHEET FEEDING' MEGHANISM. ABPLI'OATION FILED MAY 22, 1911.

1,058,706, Patented Apr.15,1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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W. `s.' 1111111011. SHEET FEEDING MEGHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1911.

Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

l W. S. AMIDON. SHEET PBEDING M EGHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAY z2, 1911.

Patented Apr. 15, 1913. 1

4 SHEETS-SEBET 4..

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end to permit 'exposure of the yrear ends of,

NITED sfrATEs PATENT' PING MACHINE COMPANY, oF MILWAUKEE, WIscoNsrN. i

4sHEirr-rriimINa'ImCHANIsNL To 'all whom t mag/concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM S. AMID'oN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwauke in the county of Milwaukee and State of Ti'sconsiu,hav'e inventedcertain new and useful Improvement-s in Sheet`v Feeding Mechanism; and Ido hereby declarY thatthe following is a full, 'cleaigandfexact' v l being indicated by line 3`-'3"fo'f Fig. 2; Fig.'

description thereof.

The object of my invention is t'o provide a simple and positive mechanism for feeding sheets of the thinnest vquality one by one from a stack of 'such sheets;

The construct-in and arrangementl bf my improved feeding mechanism is sli'cli that the rear end of the bottom lsheet of the stack is first 'drawn down by apair of spacedv piieumatic suckers whereby said sheet is I'sepai rated from the lower fac'e 'of the next 'sheetof the stack, the-latter being suitably Aslip ported by a table having a recess at its rea-r the sheets so that access thereto by the'sucker may be had. rlhe above described movement of the sucker is followed by an inward move-- ment of a separating shoe wherebyithe same is inserted between'the end of thevs'eparated bottom sheet'from those above. This movement of the shoe is succeeded `by an upward movement to effect engagement with the ex'- p -posed bottom face of. the next sheet of the stack whereby a pressure is exerted upon 'the entire stack to slightly lift it at' its rear end between said shoe and an opposing weight in the forni of afollower board. 'Thus the stack is securely gripped and its weight relieved from'the surface ofthe drawn down sheet preparatory .to the same being extracted. Following the lifting movement of the shoe the forward end of the bottom sheet is gripped by the high faces of stripping rolls causing a slight lift and compression lof the entire stack at this end, the lower face of the bottom sheet being securely gripped by pad sections of the stripping roll where# by said botto-m sheet is extracted from under the stack and delivered betweenv a pair of suitable' feed rollers, that complete the ,feed movement.

i With the above objects in view my invention consists in what is herein shown, de-

scribed and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents an elevation of a feed mechanismembodyingv the .features of 'my invention., certain me' Specification of Letters Patent.

resented Apels fl? application inea may 1911*. se'riai No. 628,704.

.tary elevation of the essential elements 'of the .Fig.l 1; Fig. 3,' a detailed ,jsetibnal end view of a sucker and separat-ing shoe, the section 4, a detailed Sectio-'nal plan viewof the feed line 4 -4 of Fig. `1,; Fig. 5, a detailed-se@ of .its paper guard brackets, the section by the'.entre.` The table sis pr'vide 'with rear and side "paper giii'd'efbrac'kets 'and a pair of front paper guide brackets `5jall front guidebrack'ets 5 "being undersc'ut. mouths 6 top'erinlt free'delivery table to feed rollers, which feedrf les fare' indicated in dotted lines inV Fi'l 1, While-,tire lrear guard brackets `are v"'slig tly'blfsetfat mitting clearance for a separatorshoe 7, structural detailsof which will'be hereinafter' described. y

Aupair of vertically disposed goose-neck rods 'projectupwardly from the rear 'end for la follower-board 9, the same being provided with 4rodsextend. The follower-board'is of suf ficientweight to exert pressure upon the stackof sheets thereunder whereby the same are held inv order 'and owing to its 'loose connection with the rods the said follower board willfsettle down as the stack is decan bev folded back over the goose -neck ends of the rods when it is desired toinseit a fresh stack of sheets thereunder.

'Mounted upon a rock-shaft 10 that is disposed tube 12 having `si'iction nipples feed mechanism illustrating' the` same' in a 'changed position relative to ltiiat' shown in tional view of a portion of the table an'dpne -indicated byline 5%5 of Fig-11, 'and I' 7 'and' 8, detail viewsof a clutch' mechanism;

` f which-abut `the edges of the/stack,r the formed with their base-portion for the purpose of per-v` of the` table, which rodsI constitute guides.

"pleted, it being'unde'rstood that the board tural features;`Fig. 2, 'a detailed fragrn'enlfmechanism, the section being indicated, by

a stack of such sheets 'which aresup opted sol of the beam Shea of theA .Stack 'from sara :L '85 apertures through which the journaled in the' standards, is a yoke 11, the

v13 projecting at' spaced intervals intermediate of its ends, the same constituting a sucker that receives its impulses from a pump 14, the head of'which pump i's -connected by a hose pipe 14a to one end ofthe sucker tube'. The sucker as shown, in this instance, is adapted `to be raised .to its working 'position by va coiled spring 15. that is attached toone of the standards and` an arm 16 carried by the sucker rock-shaft lO, the arm being provided with a, 'roller at its free end for engagement witha camwheel lathat is carried by and rotates with a drive-shaft 17,'which drive-shaft is journaled in the standards transversely to the direction `ofifeed, the arm 16 in conjunction with. the yoke constituting an actuating lever. for the sucker. The cam-wheel 16 "shaft- Thus it will be understood that the suction oi" working stroke of the pump is positively accomplished through the eamwheel, the said stroke being timed to impart a direct suction impulseto the mouth of the sucker nipples incidental to its engagement with thesurface of thebo'ttom sheet of the -stack of paper, which suction impulse is of such strength and duration as to cause the sheet to adhere thereto during an interval 'of time sufficient to permit the insertion of the separator shoe between the upper` face of the held bottom sheet. and lower face of the neXt sheet above, it being further understood that when the sucker engages the lower sheet the latter adheres thereto and is drawn down or partially bowed from the side edges of the table as shown in'Figl 3.

The separator shoe 7 has aV shank portion that'is adjustably attached to an oscillatory knee 22, which knee is' loosely mounted upon a 'stud 23 that is carried by a head 24 of a plunger-rod 25, the head being provided with a lug 26 againstwhich the end of a set screw 27 that is inv threaded engagement with the knee abuts, the same forming a rule-joint connection between saidi kneeA and 'plunger-rod head, the rulejoint vwhen closed permitting upward movement of, the plunger. The knee 22 is also connected to a rocker-arm 28 by a link 29, the rocker-arm being carried by a pintle that is mounted between ears 29a of a bracket 30.' The rocker-arm is provided with a roller that engages a cam-wheel 31, which cam-wheel ismounted upon the driveshaft and'adapted to operate the separator in a sleeve of the bracket 30,

which head abuts the latter and is in link connection shoe and its knee in one direction in opposition to a coiled spring 32 that is connected to the knee through its link and also in opposition toa second coiled spring 33, the latter being of greater strength than the knee-spring 32 and is wound about the lower endA ofthe plunger-rod between a collar thereon and lower face of the bed-plate 1 through' whichplate said plunger extends. The plunger-rod is reciprocatively mounted its head normally resting upon the top of said sleeve, constitutes a stop for limiting downward movement ofv the knee and plunger. The bracket 30 is secured to the base-plate l and is provided with anextended arm 29b that supports the pump. The cam-wheel 3l is centrally disposedwith relation to the side standards 2 and mounted `upon the drive-shaft17 at opposite sides of said cam-wheel are stripperrolls 34 having raised peripheral ,faces 35 that are partially covered with stripperpads- 36, the same being'preferably of some frlctional material, vthe material shown belng'corrugated-faced rubber that is adapted to engagev the under side of the bottom sheet of the stack to eii'ect withdrawal therefrom incidental to timed release of said sheet by the suction and separator-shoe mechanisnnit being understood thatthe table 3 is recessed above the stripper rolls to permit engagement ofthe same with the forwardly ydisposed end of the bottom sheet.

In the operation when the'parts assume the position shown in Fig. 1, Aa low face of the sucker cam 16q has permitted the sucker lactuating lever to drop and thus elevate the sucker, causing its nipples to contact with the face of the bottom sheet at its rear end. The cam-controlled pump then exerts a suction impulse whereby said sheet will adhere to the sucker nipples and further rotation ofthe cam-wheel 16u in the direction indicated by the arrow will cause the sucker te move downward with the sheet attached thereto, whereby the rear end of same is bowed or dished from the three edges of the recess formed in the table. At approximately-the completion of the downward movement of the sucker the cam-controlled rocker-arm 28 of the separating shot` 7 is moved, causing the knee 22 to swing inwardly upon its pivot stud 23 in opposition to the tension of coiled spring 32. This swinging movement of the knee causes the toe of the separator shoe to enter the y' sheet zone in the space between the upper face of the bowed bottom sheet and the under side of the next sheet above of the stack, the heavy tension plunger spring 33 having resisted upward movement of the plunger during this operation; When the toe of the shoe is in the above described position the knee set-screw 27 abuts stop lug' noname of. ha pim-resa., ,i1-Inner? Qing er the knee being thus arrested, dueto .the rulejeint 'leek between sai-d plunger Iand knee.

` Further upward movement of the rocker'- lower board. Thus the stack is gripped at its rear end. Simultaneously with the gripplng engagement of' the-fst'ak, the high face of the stripping rolls engages the forward.

end of the ybcnstom sheet and incidentally lifts the entire stack slightly i-n opposition to the follower board .at this point, wherebythe bottoirnsheet und the lower face of fthe. sameis vrelievedfrom frictional engagement with the table to facilitate its extraction, it be- 4ing understood that the stack with the ex-` of the lower sheet is gripped at its.

ception rear end bythe separator shoe at-thistime in-order'to yovercome any tendency of the stacked sheets to slip and that the high antifriction surface lifts-the sheet but does not feed. rIhe pads 36 of the stripping rolls now grip the lower sheet /frmly vand draw the same from under the stack delivering its forward-edge' to suitable driven feed-rolls, it bein 'borne in mind that stripping of the sheet or sheets, above the 'sheet being operated upon; inciden-tal to the ejectionofv thelatter, is prevented owing to the factthat the rear end of the entire stack is held and that the suction impulse or vacuum is .broken by thetimedmovement of. the pump piston' coincident tothe stripping movement'of the rolls 34 and thus 'wit each cycle lof the cam a sheet is.freed,-there being no buckling vor.;

snai-ling of the freed sheet irrespective of its delicacy of texture.

` As itis essential that the' rfeed mechanism I should complete lts cyclev or feeding move'- ment before coming to restincidental to stoppagethereof for any cause, I have,v as Figs. 16', 7 and 8, provided an autoshown 1n matic throw-out clutch that 1s' inl {gearconnection with the drive-shaft 17, whereby the feed mechanism will come to rest just .after `the stripping rolls have completed afsheetfeeding`-movement and the sucker is depressed, the 'throw-out at this moment of the cycle being positive irrespective-of the time the clutch is manually operated by a controlling lever. to stop-the feed owing to the snarling of a defective sheet or other contingency arise,l the machine will complete a 4single feed' movement before said stoppage so as to be 1n position for accurately -feeding the n ext sheet. With this in view, as `shown 1n Figs.

`before suchthrow-out, that the cam-shoe, when engaged by. theA pin, -w-illcause retraction of the plunger, Wheref- Thus should it be desirable 6, 7 and 8, the :drive-shaft 17 is provided with a beveled gear-wheel 35 that meshes with a similar beveled gear-Wheel 36 loosely mounted upon a Apower-shaft 37, which power-,shaft is journaled in hearings 38 that extend from the standard 2, :only one ofthe bearings being shown( `A hub 36%l of the beveled gear-Wheel 36 is provided with a l.spriiig-controlled plunger 39 having apro- Jctma .pm 40 that extends through f.md vis,

-reciprocative 4in a guide-slot formed in the hub.- The end vof 'the plunger normally engages .a flange 41 of a collar 42 that is fast upon the power-shaft 37 4and said plunger also-engages a radially disposed lug 42a that extends from the collar .whereby the'gearwheelj36is clutched to the continuously vdriven power-shaft and motion is im varted' tothe :drive-shaft 17. Should it be esired to trip the clutch,the same is effected by an .arc-shaped cam-shoe 43 that is carried by 'a manually operated spring-controlled lever 43, which lever is fulcrumed tela-n ear that extends from one of the power-shaft" bearings 38. The lcam-shoe is normallyy held clear of the path of travel of the plungerpin-40l and when'it is desired to trip' the clutch, the cam-shoe is drawn into the path loftravel of sa-idpin.I The latter will then engage said shoe at a fixed point in its travel irrespective of the time that the controlling lever was manipulated, whereby a complete- -k cycleof the' feeding apparatus is effected bythe latter is disconnected from the collars llug and that overthrowof the drive-shaft 1.7 is. checked after such disconnection by ahigh'face 43h-of the cam-shoe.

- ;1.11.-i-111.=l 1. A sheet table for the support of a stack of sheets,

asucker for vengagement with the rear end fofY thebottom sheet of the stack, a rearwardly disposed .separator shoe, meansfor lifting the suck'r toits sheet engaging position and returning the same, whereby the lower 'rear end ofthe bottom sheet is bowed downwardly,'means for imparting an initial inward and. a succeeding upward movement tofthe separator shoe, initially enters whereby said shoe between of the bottom face `of ment with the forward en of the bottom sheet succeedingl a lifting-pressure exerted upon the 'remaining sheets of the Vseparator shoe. 2. A sheet feeding -devlce comprising 'a the stack by vtable for the support of a stack of sheets,

with the rear end..

a 4sucker vfor engagement of the bottom sheet of the stack', a rearwardly it b'eing understood feedmg device compr1smgr a gita the bowed sheet. and

ithe one next 'above and. thereafter moves upward to exert a lifting pressure upon the vstack by engagement lthe next sheet, and alstrip er for engageporting table for a cam-actuated sucker disposed underv the yin rule-joint union therewith,

disposed separator shoe, a follower arranged to rest upon the upper sheet of the stack, means for lifting the sucker to its sheetengaging position and returningthe same whereby the v'lower rear end of the bottom sheet is bowed downwardly, means for imparting an initial inward and a succeeding'upward movement'to the separator shoe whereby said shoeinit-ially'enters between the bowed sheet and there-after moves upward to exert a liftinpressure upon the stack by engagement 0I' the-bottom face of the next sheet, and la'strip ment'with the forward en of the bottom sheet succeeding a lifting pressure exerted upon the remaining sheets'o'f the stack by the separatorshoe.

` 3. A sheet feeding device comprising a table for the support of a ,stack of sheets. a sucker for' engagement with the 'rear end of the bottom sheet of the stack, a rearwardly disposed separator shoe, a follower arranged to rest upon the upper sheet of the stack, a pump inf communication with the sucker, an actuating means for the pum whereby its suction stroke is regulated wit relation to movement of the sucker, means for lifting the sucker to its Sheet-engaging position and returning the same whereby t e lower rear end of the bottom sheet is bowed downwardly, means for imparting anA initialy inward and a succeeding upward movement to the separator' shoe whereby said shoe initially enters between the bowed sheet and thereafter moves upward to exert alifting pressure upon the stack by engagement of the bottom face of thenext sheet,l and a stripper for engagement with the forward end of the bot-tom sheet succeeding a lifting pressure exerted upon the remaining sheets of the stack by the separator shoe.. 4. In a sheet feeding device having a supstack of sheets, and a rearward end of the table for engagement with. the bottom sheet of the stack; the combination ofa sheet separating shoe comprising a spring-controlled plunger, a knee and a spring secured to the knee, the spring being of less resisting force than the plunger spring.

5. In a sheet feeding device having a sheet-supporting table, and a cam-controlled sucker disposed under the rearward end of the table 'for engagement with the bottom sheet of the stack; the combination of a sheet separat-ing shoe comprising a spring-controlled plunger, a knee pivoted va reciprocative sucker adapted toy er for engage.

.portingl table for thereto, a rocker-arm in link connection with the knee, an actuating ,cam'for the rockerarm, a s ring in connection with therockerarm an knee whereby the rocker-arm is held in engaging contact with its cam and the knee shoe is held beyond the zoneof the stack of sheets, and means for limiting inward movement of the knee carried by the plunger.

6. A sheetl feedingdevice comprising a table for the support of a stack of sheets, engage the rear end of the bottom sheet, a driveshaft, a power-shaft in gear connection with the drive-shaft, cam-controlling means carried by the drive-shaft for imparting movement to t-he sucker, al separator shoe disposed rearwardly of the table-and normally beyond the sheet area zone, cam-controlling means for imparting an inward and upward movement thereto successively and in timed vrelation to outward movement of said sucker, arotatory stripper rolly mounted upon the drive-shaft provided with raised gripping-faces and a manually operated clutch carried by the power-shaft whereby the drive-shaft is automatically stopped at a predetermined point in its rotation succeeding a completion of a feed movement.

7i In a sheet feeding device having a supporting table for a stack of sheets, and a vcam-actuated sucker disposed under the rearward end of the table for engagement with the bottom sheet of the stack; the combination of a sheet-separating shoe comprising a spring-controlled plunger, a-knee in rule-joint union therewith, a spring secured to the knee, the spring being of less resisting force than the plunger spring, and a stop for positively limiting downward movement of the knee and lunger.

8. In a sheet-feeding device having a supa stack of sheets, and a cam-actuated sucker disposed under the rearward end of the table for engagement with the bottom sheet of the stack; the combination of a`sheet-separating shoe comprising a head, a spring-controlled knee in rulejoint unioirtherewith, a lever for the head, and an actuating cam for said lever.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee in 'the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in the presence of two witnesses.

W. S. AMIDON.

Witnesses:

N. E. OLIPHANT, MAY DowNEY. 

